AAVP rests 69 housing units atop a gymnasium in paris

realized by vincent parreira atelier architecture (AAVP), this dynamic housing scheme in paris takes into account the context of a blend of populations, memories of bygone activities and the contrasting architectural styles and functions expressed in the surrounding built environment. altogether, the project is comprised of a large gymnasium space with 69 social housing units sitting above.

all images © luc boegly

AAVP’s aim was to hybridize the industrial scale with a more intimate and private atmosphere of the individual housing unit. the scheme is located in the 10th arrondissement and distinctively features a series of porticoes that extend more than 20 meters in length, with beams that form the load-bearing wall of the first level of each housing unit. furthermore, a vertical fracture separates the first gymnasium/housing complex from a smaller lot comprised of housing on the upper floors, as well as a series of service areas on the ground floor. each housing unit is equipped with its own loggia, whose variable depth is calculated to allow sufficient privacy for the inhabitant.

most of the housing units rest atop the gymnasium

the balconies, passageways, footbridges, staircases, and garden serves as a buffer and ultimately, this planning focuses on privacy, while still increasing visual transparency and porosity. the descent into the half-buried rooms is magnified by a staircase creating transparencies in all four cardinal directions and in turn, the occupants of the terrace houses become a show that unfolds as they navigate alongside the building.

each apartment is connected by a series of interweaving pathways and staircases